Water aerator



Dec. 23, 1958 Filed Jan. 50, 1956 A. s. ABELI.V

WATER AERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheer. 1

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INVENTOR. ARTHUR S. ABELL MMM( miler/reqs A. S. ABELL WATER AERATOR Dec. 23, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1956 ARTHUR .5'. BELL United States P 2l`f1`g WATER AERAToR Arthur s. Abell, Elkhorn, wis.

Application January 30, 1956, Serial No. 562,081

z claims. (cl. :s1- 93) This invention relates to water aerators which nd various uses as in minnow buckets, fish aquariums, and the like.

Various attempts heretofore to aerate water have generally employed expensive constructions which have not been suitable for shermens use. In most of these the water is pumped upwardly Aand falls through the air to pick up air.

The present invention provides a self-contained electrically driven unit which eiectively maintains aeration of any small body of water such as a minnow bucket, sh pond or aquarium and the like without requiring pumping of the water. The motor drive is adapted to run on six or twelve volts and can be driven by the usual electric train transformer from a 110 volt source or by an adapter plug fitting the cigarette lighter socket from an auto battery as when a minnow bucket is being carried a substantial distance in an automobile.

The invention has been embodied in units of different size and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical central transverse section of a bucket showing an elevation of the aerator of the present invention with parts in section;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the aerator taken at right angles to that of Figure 1 and with the front screen removed;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the aerator of Figure l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of a goldsh aquarium showing an elevation of another embodiment of the aerator with parts in section;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the aerating head of Fig. 4 taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 4.

The larger unit illustrated in Figs. 1-3 comprises an inverted sheet metal channel member 1 adapted to support the unit on the bottom of a minnow bucket 2 or the like, and a bracket consisting of a metal strap 3 extending upwardly from the channel in an inverted U-shape and having its lower ends flanged and bolted or otherwise secured to the at top of member 1.

The upper end of strap member 3 extends substantially above the water level in bucket 2, as shown, and carries a small fractional horsepower A. C.D. C. electric motor 4 disposed with its shaft vertical, there being an opening between the motor and the upper closed end or cross member of member 3 to provide the latter as a convenient handle for lifting the aerator.

The shaft of motor 4 is coupled to a vertical impeller shaft 5 which extends downwardly in the water of bucket 2 and through the at top of channel member 1.

A rubber or neoprene vane-type rotary impeller 6 is secured to the lower end of shaft 5 within channel member 1. The impeller 6 may be of any one of a number of radial vane-type impellers made commercially in volume for small water pumps. There need be no wear 0n the impeller 6 since it rotates freely in the water 2,865,618 Patented Dec. 23,v i1958 ice within channel member 1 without necessarily touching either side or the at top of the member.

Air is drawn downwardly by the impeller'6 through a tube 7 secured at its upper end adjacent motor 4 vand secured at its lower end to the top of member v1 in registry with a hole 8 through the plate. The lower end of tube 7 should be sealed to the member 1 as bysoldering or welding it, and opening 8, shouldbe -dispos'ed above the path of the vanes of impeller 6 substantially as shown. The upper end of tube 7 extends upwardly above the water level in bucket 2 and is secured to the support for motor 4 where it will be free to receive air.

' Actuation of impeller 6 by motor 4 will eiect a centrifugal action on the water in member 1 and which will tend to draw air down tube 7 and to discharge it into the water. The air thereafter forms small bubbles which travel outwardly toward the opposite open Vends of the channel member 1. When the bubbles escape member 1 they rise as small bubbles 9 through the water in bucket 2, thereby aerating the water.

In order to prevent injury to minnows and small fish, as might occur if they were to enter channel member 1, the open ends of the member are covered by a screen 10 which also serves to vreduce the size of Yair-bubbles being emitted into the water at each end of the channel.

The smaller unit, illustrated in Figs. 4 6; comprises a circular inverted cup-shaped head 11 which may have a circumferential ange 12 serving as a foot for supporting the same on the bottom of the bucket or the aquarium.

The motor 4 is secured to a horizontal supporting plate 13 which is secured to the upper end of air tube 7. The lower end of air tube 7 is secured to the top of the inverted cup-shaped head 11 and opens therethrough at a location above the path of the vanes-of impeller 6 as the latter rotates within the head.

Impeller 6 is generally smaller in diameter than the cup so that its vanes do not touch the walls of head 11 and need not have any wear thereagainst.

The side walls of the cup head 11 may be of screen material, or if of sheet metal, they should have at least two screened openings 14 therein, preferably diametrically opposed to each other, as shown.

The impeller 6 is carried at the lower end of shaft 5 and is disposed concentric to head 11. Shaft 5 extends upwardly from head 11 and is coupled to the shaft of motor 4 as described with respect to the embodiment of Figs. 1-3.

The actuation of the embodiments of Figs. 4-6 is the same as that for Figs. 1-3, previously described. In the smaller unit of Figs. 4-6, the head 11 is secured to plate 13 carrying motor 4 only by the air tube 7, whereas in the larger unit of Figs. 1-3, the strap 3 secures the member 1 to the motor 4.

The bottom of channel member 1 and also of head 11 may be closed by a plate 15 to provide an aerating chamber adapted to be submerged in the water to be aerated so that effective aeration is obtained even though the channel member or head is not resting upon the bottom of bucket 2.

The motor 4 may be a one-twentieth horse power universal electrical motor operating on six or twelve volts. In this way there is very little danger of shock as from shorting, and the device may be operated from the current supply available in most automobiles today. A small transformer may be employed to supply current to motor 4 from the usual one-hundred-ten volt line.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the following claims which particularly point out and distinctly set forth the subject matter presently regarded as the invention.

A L A water @crater comprising, '.1V ehamher. adapted. to4 be submerged in the waterL to be aerated and having screened side walls for movement of water and escape of airt-I arota-r-y; varie: tyre imneller mounted .reiterate freely in the water withintsaidehamber. a; substantiallyvertical drive sha-ft Carrying; said impellerand extending? upwardly throughfthe topof said chamber, anelectric motor having` its; shaft4 coupled tov said' drive, shafttoE effect rotation Qfsaid, impeller, air tube means' connected with said chamben and extending upwardly therefrom to support saidmotor above said chamberv and-T at aheight above the level#` oft the water`y in lwhich said chamber` isto besub.- merged andto` receive; ain from. above the levelof the water to-be aerated, the lower end-,cgfsaidv air tube open, ing downwardly intoIsaid chamber ata location above the path of the blades of the impeller during rotation of the lat-terr whereby air is `v drawn down. said air,V tube upon rotation/of the impellerfby' the motor ands ubmergen'ce of. the:- chamber in thewater. to bel aerated, saidl air tube means constituting the sole support: for the motor upon Said ohamben.

2. A Wateraerator cornprisilnaY a horizontally disposed sheet metal channel member, a. plate closing all. but: the ends of said channel member, screens. covering the end openi1-1esfof the channel member to constitute said channelI member andvplate as a chamber adapted to be submerged lin thewater to be aerated and having screened side wallsv for'- movement of water and escape of air,` a

rotary'vane type impellrmounted to rotate freely in the water. .within said Shenzhen. al. substantially vertical drive shaft carrying said impeller and extending upwardly through the top of said chamber, an electric motor having its shaft coupled to said drive shaft to effect rotation of said impeller, means connected with said chamber and extending upwardly therefrom to support said motor above said chamber and at a height above the level of the water in which said chamber is to be submerged, and an air tube extending upwardly from' said chamber to receive air from above the level. of the water to be aerated, the lower end of saidairV tube opening downwardly intogsa'idf chamber; atalocationabove, the path of the blades of the impeller during rotation of the latter, whereby air is drawn downa said tube-upon rotation of the impeller by the motor and submergence of the chamber in the water to be aerated.

'Referencestcitdin tile. of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS -t--f-:H-q--v-V--w- 2,194,0 37 Thuma V..... Mar. 19 194.0 2,352,767 Booth' etal. Iuly 4, 1944 2,364,686 Balisteri et al. Dec. 12, 1944 2,393,976 Daman et al.-- `Eeb.r5, 1946 2,533,936 Holmes et al-; Dee. 12, 1950 2,641,455 Poirot lune 9,J 1953, 2,801,083- Balavssa; July 30,v 195.7 

